Chapter 41
“Seriously, you should have just followed us from the beginning. Why are you making things difficult for yourself?”
Korean? I thought they were all foreigners because of the black hoods, but it seems I was wrong.
“What… what is this all about? Where are the security guards? Are those people okay?”
“Ah, don’t worry, we didn’t kill them. But right now, Han Taekyung, you shouldn’t be worried about them. You should be worried about yourself. Aren’t you concerned about what’s going to happen to you?”
“Haah…”
I feel dizzy. I don’t know what drug it is, but it contains something that makes my body feel languid. Fortunately or not, drugs don’t work well on Taekyung. His body’s ability to detoxify was too fast. Thinking he just needed to buy a little more time, Taekyung attempted conversation.
“What’s going to happen to me? Don’t tell me you’re planning to make me put on some masturbation show here? Or are you planning to take me somewhere else?”
“Haha, that’s funny. But you’re half right. Right now, our boss really, really wants Han Taekyung’s sperm. Well, after you put on a little show here, we’ll take you to a happy paradise. Hundreds of omegas are waiting for you in that paradise. What a happy life. If we wanted, we could offer you all the omegas in the world.”
“Bullshit…”
His mind is becoming clearer.
“What was that drug you injected into my neck?”
“Just propofol. A very small amount. It’s essential before heading to paradise, isn’t it?”
This is so absurd it’s not even funny. Han Taekyung tried moving his fingertips. Feeling sensation gradually returning, he grabbed the edge of the annoying black hood in front of him who was smirking confidently. Not understanding what that signal meant, the black hood mocked him, asking if this was his last struggle. Taekyung pulled the hood toward him and executed a swift throw. The man was flung against the wall, landing on a bench with a painful grunt. He quickly got up and shouted for the others to catch Taekyung, and the other black hoods hesitated before putting knives to the throats of the unconscious security guards they’d brought.
“If you move, we’ll slit these security guards’ throats one by one.”
This is insane. There’s really no way out. Three lives are at stake now. Even if he could save one, he couldn’t do anything about the other two. He ran many simulations in his head, but the result was always the same. What should he do? He had sent a signal with his watch while sitting down earlier, but it seemed all the nearby guards had already been captured. When would help arrive? Was Seo Igeon safe?
“I told you, didn’t I? Just follow us quietly.”
The guy who had been thrown approached Han Taekyung one step at a time, all talk.
“Fine, I’ll follow you. So let those people go.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“He says he will. Kill two of them and leave one alive.”
Shocked by those words, Taekyung turned around to find they had already slit the throats of two guards, while one remained unconscious.
“That one is our insurance.”
“Damn it!”
These people had no hesitation about killing. He was truly cornered.
He needed to make a quick decision. Otherwise, both he and the remaining guard would be in danger. If they couldn’t both make it out alive, at least that person should survive.
“Han Taekyung, I can hear you thinking.”
“Wouldn’t you be thinking too if you were in my position?”
“Haha, well, yes. But it bothers me that you’re relaxed enough to be thinking so much.”
“Whatever, just spare that person.”
“Yes, we will. That’s how we get you to come with us. And we’ll keep some insurance too.”
At the man’s gesture, another black hood approached and stuck a needle into Taekyung’s thigh. The dose was much larger than before. He tried to resist, but couldn’t. Everything gradually went dark, and he couldn’t stand properly, eventually collapsing to the floor. He couldn’t lose consciousness here. If he did, he truly wouldn’t know where he was when he woke up. Above all, if Igeon came here now… he would be in grave danger too. He had to tell him not to come. Don’t come… please, Seo Igeon.
â—†
“Please get in.”
“Yes.”
The car that arrived at exactly 7 o’clock didn’t even wait 10 minutes. Urged to get in quickly, Igeon had to board without properly saying goodbye to Instructor Jin. The one good thing was that Han Taekyung had kept his promise and sent someone to help Instructor Jin. After introducing Instructor Jin to the helper and quickly handling the handover, he got into the car. The security guards seemed very anxious. That was understandable—if he had been even slightly late, Han Taekyung would have nagged them endlessly. Feeling sorry for them, Igeon quickly got into the car.
“Where is Han Taekyung now?”
“He’s at the gym. He’s training alone, so we should head straight there.”
“I understand.”
That guy, practicing alone… if he’d just waited a little, we could have practiced together. Such an impatient guy.
“Nothing happened to Taekyung, right?”
“No, nothing. Last night was quiet.”
“That’s good.”
“We did a separate investigation and confirmed that what happened to your acquaintance was really an accident.”
It seemed they had also investigated Instructor Jin’s incident, just to be sure.
“Thank you. I was curious about that too.”
It’s sad that I’ve become suspicious of everything now. But it’s true that we need to check even minor details in this situation. That’s how we can prepare for danger. With the morning rush hour, they arrived at school around 8:30 AM. Since it was still vacation and early in the day, there weren’t many people around. Looking at the school grounds, they soon arrived in front of the gym. As soon as the car stopped, Igeon grabbed the door handle to get out, but the door wouldn’t open.
“The car door won’t open.”
“Just a moment, Igeon-nim. Something seems wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“We can’t see our other people stationed around the area. Usually when we send a signal, we get one back, but there’s nothing. Plus, Taekyung-nim has sent an emergency signal. You should stay here. We’ll go check it out.”
“No. I’m coming too.”
“It could be dangerous for you. We’ll be in trouble if something happens.”
“Is that really important right now?? Open the door. I’m coming too. If something happens to Han Taekyung, I won’t let you off easy.”
The security guards looked troubled when Igeon angrily spoke, but they still wouldn’t open the door, making him increasingly anxious. Should he just break the car window? No, that would be difficult. It was surely bulletproof glass. What should he do? Was Han Taekyung safe? Just in case, Igeon tried calling, but the phone was turned off. Damn it!
“Chief, no one is answering calls or signals.”
“It’s certain something has happened.”
The seriousness in the guards’ conversation grew more intense. This felt ominous. They couldn’t just waste time like this.
“Open the door!! And instead of talking, you two should be calling the police!!”
At Igeon’s shout, the chief nodded.
“The two of us will go with Seo Igeon. You stay here and call the police. And tell all the other guards watching the officetel to come as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Seo Igeon, I’m sorry but we’ll need your help this time. But remember, you must prioritize your own safety above all else. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand, so hurry and open the door.”
There was a click as the lock was released. Igeon jumped out and headed toward the gym. There was a sign saying “Cleaning in Progress” at the gym entrance. This was certainly the time for cleaning. But in a situation like this, everyone would know this sign was just a cover. Igeon kicked the sign away and opened the door. He frowned at the smell of blood that wafted out.
“Han Taekyung!!!”
Han Taekyung was in the middle of the gym, breathing heavily, in a standoff with the black hoods. And on the floor were two security guards, their throats slit, blood flowing like a waterfall. My God. What on earth was happening here?
“Seo Igeon… run… away.”
Han Taekyung spoke with difficulty. The situation wasn’t good. Even worse than the rooftop incident. There were too few people here, and Igeon felt that these foreigners were stronger than those they had seen on the rooftop. But he couldn’t really run away. If he left Taekyung here, he might never see him again.
“Run… away.”
Han Taekyung’s condition didn’t look good either, speaking each word with great effort. His expression suggested he could collapse at any moment. The security chief who had followed Seo Igeon in took in the situation and inhaled sharply. Then, making a quick assessment, he whispered in Igeon’s ear.
“About twenty men are on their way. The police have been notified.”
“How long will it take?”
“About 5 minutes, I think.”
5 minutes—it felt like an eternity. But they had to manage.
“Hey, hey, uninvited guests, if you value your lives, you’ll close the door and leave right now. Otherwise, we’ll kill you all.”
“If you hand over my friend and that person in the black suit, we’ll leave. We don’t particularly want to see blood either.”
“How bold of you.”
The man slowly approached Taekyung and stood in front of his staggering body. Then he pulled out a knife, held it to Taekyung’s neck, and smiled at Igeon.
“I already told this one that cutting off an arm or a leg wouldn’t be a problem. We wouldn’t lose anything.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
